Bill Detail
An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements)
This enactment amends the Indian Act to provide, among other things, new entitlements to registration in the Indian Register in response to the challenge of certain provisions of the Act under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in Nicholas v. Canada (Attorney General) and that the persons who have become so entitled also have the right to have their names entered in a Band List maintained in the Department of Indigenous Services.
Bill S-2 amends the Indian Act to address historical discrimination in registration rules, particularly those found to be inconsistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It expands the categories of individuals entitled to be registered as Status Indians and to have their names added to band lists. This includes descendants of individuals who were previously excluded, and aims to restore registration entitlements that were lost due to past discriminatory provisions.